Guys and Balls (2004)

After their most recent loss, a soccer team discovers its goalie is gay and casts him out. He retaliates by bringing back an all-gay team for a game to prove who's better.

Director:

Sherry Hormann

Writer:

Benedikt Gollhardt

Stars:

Maximilian Brückner, Lisa Maria Potthoff, Dietmar Bär

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eileen Eilender	...	Susanne jung 1
Leon Breitenborn	...	Ecki jung 1
Dietmar Bär	...	Vater
Saskia Vester	...	Mutter
Anna Koesling	...	Susanne jung 2
Steven Wellmann	...	Ecki jung 2
Melody Sitta	...	Cordula jung
Jan Giffel	...	Udo jung
Maximilian Brückner	...	Ecki
Willi Thomczyk	...	Wirt
Jochen Stern	...	Rentner Rudi
Judith Hoersch	...	Cordula (as Judith Delphine Hoersch)
Carlo Ljubek	...	Udo
Mirko Lang	...	Tobias
Tobias van Dieken	...	Bernhard (as Tobias Vandieken)

Storyline

Fair-haired Ecki, the baker's son, has grown up the golden boy of his home town. All that changes the instant he and his soccer teammates discover he's gay. Now the object of scorn and ridicule (and finding himself unceremoniously kicked off his team), Ecki travels to the city of Dortmund to recruit an all-gay soccer team to return and prove to his town and his former soccer mates who the best men are. As first-time-out Ecki searches blindly through gay watering holes for players, his parents endure a rash of derisive gay jokes from the townies, leaving Ecki's gruff father to hope for a change in his son's orientation while also considering closing down the family business.

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Plot Keywords:

three word title | queer cinema | gay lead character | gay character | gay slur | 

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Taglines:

Jeder gibt sein bestes Stück. (Everyone gives his best part.)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Germany]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

7 October 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Guys and Balls

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,425, 30 April 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$28,194, 4 June 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 102 min (DVD)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When the door of the lift opens to reveal Ecki and Sven kissing, Ecki is wearing a shirt, though he is previously seen to have removed it in the lift.

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Quotes

Sven: I have the late shift.
Ecki: No problem.
Sven: Ecki?
Sven: What?
Sven: Why don't you come along? I'll just be hanging around anyway.
Ecki: Love to.

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Crazy Credits

In the ending credits, each actor's name is placed on the soccer grid where his position was played in the movie.

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Connections

References Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

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Soundtracks

The Switch
Written by Bob Nanna, Todd Bell, Mike Shumaker, and Damon Atkinson
Performed by Hey Mercedes

User Reviews

Very well made and non-offending comedy

I found the movie very entertaining, sometimes it was pushing the stereotypes, but it was never ever insulting. Actually it was a gay friend that recommended me to watch the movie. As a matter of fact, the movie portrayed gay men as very diverse showing different personalities with different attributes. It is a great comedy, not comparable to ridiculously and sometimes even offending movies like "Traumschiff Enterprise". Maenner wie wir paints a very positive picture of gay men and does hold a very supporting view in a comedian fashion. In fact, every major character shows understanding and respect for gay men by the end of the movie. I have to add that I thought the acting of Eckis parents (Saskia Vester and Dietmar Baer) was just great.